Anyone who has taken at least one cruise in their life knows very well that, while on board you can lose track of time, once you disembark you have a fixed thought in mind: the boarding time. If you get lost among the alleys of Mykonos or at the Monte Carlo casino you risk missing the ship. The planned program and the ship’s departure time are strictly rigid: no one will wait for latecomers. It’s important to know this from the outset.
It’s a problem that occurs more often than you might imagine. Even without any ill intent, it can simply be because you haven’t adjusted for daylight saving time on your watch or you haven’t checked your booking. If excursions are organized by the ship, there can be a small margin of tolerance for the return time to the dock in case of an unforeseen delay. The guides are well informed about the departure and always do their best to reintegrate the group in time, even at the cost of canceling some planned visits.
The standard procedure for the “passenger loss”
It’s important to know that, in any case, there exists a standard procedure for the “cruise passenger being left behind.” Here is how it works:
1. the person who is not on board is called over the loudspeaker once or twice;
2. the call is repeated, but with the general emergency system;
3. if there is still no response from the passenger, a customer-service representative of the company, accompanied by a security officer, goes to his cabin to verify if he is on board;
4. if no one is found, a master key is used to check whether he has left his documents in the safe;
5. if the passport is not present, the company assumes the traveler has it with him; if, on the contrary, it is found, the document is left at the port with a person specialized in this type of emergency, who will hand it to the late passenger when he goes to the dock;
6. this person has both the responsibility to return the passport and to assist the traveler with all the necessary documents and the necessary procedures to enable him to reach the next port of call of the cruise. In this case, all expenses incurred to reach the subsequent port are charged to the cruise passengers.
The precautions to keep in mind
Here is a series of precautions to avoid finding yourself in this unpleasant situation and what to do in case, unfortunately, you end up reaching the port and seeing your ship on the horizon:
1. know the exact time of the docking appointment: when the ship arrives at a port of call, the onboard staff always announces the exact time by which passengers must be back aboard. If you don’t hear the PA system or you have doubts, it’s advisable to ask the crew or consult the daily schedule;
2. account for the unforeseen: a taxi stuck in traffic in the middle of the city, the bus that doesn’t arrive, or long lines to pay a ticket. It’s better to be prudent and try to return to the ship at least two hours before departure;
3. book excursions through the ship: it may be more expensive than organizing them yourself, but it provides greater guarantees of the timing of visits, even in case of unforeseen events. If you still prefer to be autonomous, a pinch of wisdom is needed: it’s better not to visit places too far from the port;
4. always carry your passport and your credit card when disembarking: this is very important, especially if the cruise is abroad, because if you have to catch a flight the document is absolutely necessary and obviously you’ll need money to pay for the flight or any other necessary transport, as well as for hotels, meals or other expenses;
5. always keep the ship’s itinerary with you: those who do not want to memorize all the ports where the ship will call and on what date would do well to always have the printed itinerary in their pocket, so as to have enough information in case you need to reach the ship at another destination by yourself. Even better is to also have the daily program of activities on hand, which includes the contact details of the cruise-line agent with whom you can communicate directly if needed;
6. do not despair, stay calm to find a quick solution: if you miss the ship it is not the end of the world. Go as soon as possible to the cruise terminal at the port and speak with the port officials who are in contact with the onboard staff; the companies are used to these situations and know well how to help the cruiser find the best and quickest way back to the ship, thus allowing them to continue the cruise.
